Wrath of the Scourge
by SigmaForceSpeedy
Summary: Death knights are meant only to have full loyalty to the Lich King and no memories of their past. Yet, Jacob cannot help but feel memories of his previous life rushing back. Can he and his fellow death knights regain control of their lives? Or will they be damned to walk a path of death and destruction forever? Sequel to "The Lightrunner". Third story of the Azerothian Chronicles.
1. Forced Raising

"Warriors of the frozen wastes…rise…" Jacob Lightrunner watched in horror, unable to move, as the terrifying figure of the Lich King raised his cursed runeblade, Frostmourne. All around the Master of the Scourge were corpses, freshly slain. Corpses of Alliance soldiers, of all allied races, lay bloody in the snow. As the Lich King extended his sword, blue streams of energy flew from the corpses and into the blade. Jacob watched the gruesome spectacle as blue circles of energy rotated around his wrists and ankles, binding him to the air, disabling his movement. "Arthas…you…will pay for all the lives that you have taken from Azeroth today!" Jacob snarled. The Lich King slowly turned his thorny helm towards the young warrior. As his eyes blazed a more brilliant blue, the corpses' eyes also did. They slowly rose up, gripping their swords, spears and axes. "Behold, your soldiers are no longer yours. They are mine…my Scourge!"

"So, you're going to kill me, then?" Jacob asked defiantly. He was sweating, in spite of the bitter cold. The Lich King turned to face him, as his new Scourge warriors hefted their weapons, armour and weapons now transformed into cold grey steel inlaid with skulls. Their faces were now no more than torn skin stretched over grim skulls. "Certainly…not. You have shown great potential as a future commander of my Scourge." Jacob narrowed his eyes. "Never! I would rather die than serve the Scourge!" he growled. The Lich King tilted his helm, almost as if in bemusement. "How…interesting."

Frostmourne flicked out, faster than Jacob could track it. The blade swished through the air towards him. In that instant, the warrior's bonds broke. Rolling away from the cursed blade, Jacob retrieved his swords and parried the next slash. "Impressive, warrior." They fought for a few minutes, neither getting the upper hand. However, the Lich King put more effort into it, and soon, Frostmourne flashed into Jacob's shoulder. The pain was incredible. Jacob's blade slowed a fatal fraction, and the runeblade sliced his thigh.

The leg gave, and Jacob stumbled. The Lich King laughed as he raised Frostmourne high and brought it down. Jacob instinctively closed his eyes, then felt the metal bite into his body. In a split second, he was lying in the snow, blood pooling around him, a long deep slash across his chest. Blue energy emanated from the gash. Jacob cried out, then lay still. His vision was but a black tunnel, and the light at the end was fading fast. Then, everything went black. In the final moment, Jacob thought he heard a voice saying to him, "It is not the end, Lightrunner."

The Lich King pointed Frostmourne at Jacob's corpse. "Rise up, warrior. Your work is not complete. Join me. The living will tremble and the dead will obey." A blue mist travelled from the warrior's body and into Frostmourne. As Jacob's eyes opened and flamed blue, he gripped his twin swords, which were now black and inscribed with blue runes. They were identical, a metal skull set near the crossguard. The blades were serrated and beautifully curved. His armour plates turned from silver to a greyish black and skull-shaped carvings materialised on his shoulder, knee and belt plates. His armour seemed to flow like liquid as it became sharper, spikier and more curved. "Whom do you serve, my death knight?" The Lich King asked. The newly-made Jacob Deathstalker raised his head, skin and hair bone-white. His previously calm and collected voice was now harsh and cutting, echoing strangely. "My will is that of the Lich King."

The Lich King drew himself up to his full height. "So, it is done, then. Follow, valued servants." Sheathing Frostmourne, the ruler of Icecrown commenced striding off across the snow, newly-made death knight and Scourge warriors falling into perfect lockstep behind him. Their footfalls were like death knells, of doom and destruction.

 **Author's Note**

 **Hey readers! Recently I have been really disorganised with my fanfics, writing this, then that, so I decided to compile all my WoW stories into one series, called the Azerothian Chronicles. This is the order in which the stories will go:**

 **Warrior of Quel'thalas (about Angmar Lightreaver, roughly from Warcraft 2-ish to Wrath of the Lich King)**

 **The Lightrunner (about Samuel Lightrunner, from Warcraft 3 to The Burning Crusade)**

 **Wrath of the Scourge (about Jacob Lightrunner, The Burning Crusade to end of Wrath of the Lich King)**

 **Fury of the Light (about Samuel Lightrunner's team of paladins and warriors, Cataclysm to Mists of Pandaria)**

 **Through The Portal They Came (about the campaign in Draenor, Warlords of Draenor to beginning of Legion)**

 **Champion of the Illidari (about Dagra Bloodfury and her transformation into one of Illidan's demon hunters, beginning of Legion)**

 **Last Stand of Azeroth (about the campaign against the Burning Legion, Legion to start of Battle of Lordaeron)**


	2. Call To War

Acherus was a huge necropolis-like structure floating above New Avalon. Skeletal gryphons flew to and fro, carrying other death knights from Acherus to a fortified camp below in the ridge overlooking the town. The whole area would have reeked of undeath as a regular human, but now, it smelled…almost pleasant to the new death knight. As the Lich King transported Jacob and the Scourge soldiers up into the complex, Jacob felt his ornate armour change, turning into basic death knight initiate gear. It left his arms bare and his helm was replaced by a hood. All in all, the gear offered much less protection and decoration. Somehow, the new death knight understood. "Break them down to the basics, build them back up as elites." He muttered as he walked forward to the Lich King, who was standing on a pedestal. They were on a wide balcony overlooking New Avalon. "All I am: Anger, cruelty, vengeance, I bestow upon you, my chosen knight. You will now be known as Jacob Deathstalker." The Lich King said as he saw the initiate approach. "Go, your training begins now." Jacob bowed, and set off to find the instructor.

Instructor Razuvious was a huge man, with ornate blue armour and a massive runed sword on his back. Turning his head at the initiate's approach, he gave a thin grin, one that didn't touch his eyes. "Ah, there you are." He sat Jacob down on the steps to the lowered pit and stood, towering over him. "Your first lesson, Deathstalker, is to forge your weapon. Go to those weapon racks and get a sword. Place it in the runeforge and watch the magic happen. Then report back to me. Go." Jacob rose, and headed over to the weapon racks. He sorted through the blades, and finally picked one that was just right for him. He headed over to the forge, testing its weight. As blue Scourge magic enveloped the weapon, Jacob felt a new spell work its way into his mind.

Runeforging.

Taking the runeblade out of the forge, Jacob waved his hand over the blade, emblazoning runes onto it. He couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at seeing his new weapon, sleek, deadly and beautiful. He walked over to Razuvious, who took the blade. "Well done, Deathstalker. The runeblade is the very extension of your being. A death knight cannot battle without a runed weapon. Now, you see over there in that pit the unworthy initiates who have failed. Chained to the heart of Acherus, they serve only to take up space, unworthy of joining the dark brotherhood. The endless hunger will soon overpower you, and you will feel immeasurable pain." Razuvious gave a key to Jacob. "This is the key to your salvation. Go and unlock one of the initiates' soul prison. Then, kill them, and the pain will stop. Live or die, the choice is yours to make." He handed back the sword to the death knight.

Jacob took the blade from Razuvious and headed over to a human initiate. He unlocked the prison and the man stood up. "You have made a grave error, fiend!" He grabbed his armour, swiftly buckled it on, then took up his sword and charged at Jacob. "HAH! You can barely hold a blade. Yours will be a quick death!" The death knight sidestepped the human and slammed the edge of the blade into the man's back. The victim gasped, and Jacob brought his sword up into the man's chest. Firing a death coil into the man's stomach, Jacob then cast Festering Strike and Outbreak, causing numerous pustules to appear, then rip open all over the man. Blood poured from the man's mouth, and the keen runeblade separated his head from his shoulders. As the head went tumbling away, Razuvious smiled.

"Good work. Now, your next lesson is to choose your school of magic. You now wield the power of the unholy. Death knights that follow the unholy arts gain access to a wide range of biological powers. They inflict infested wounds, diseases and festering boils on the enemy! You may either choose to change it, or remain. There are two other schools: The school of frost, and the school of blood. Frost is for those who want to end their enemies quickly! With powers of ice and fast, heavy strikes, a frost death knight is on nigh invincible! Those death knights that choose the power of blood become walking tanks! Wielding healing blood magic and delivering swift strikes that rend flesh and tear marrow, blood death knights are usually seen at the forefront of the battle."

Jacob thought for a while. "Instructor, I choose to follow the school of frost." Razuvious said nothing, but cast a spell on Jacob. Instantly, the death knight felt a sense of discomfort as the spells belonging to the school of the unholy were ripped from his mind, and the spells according to frost replaced the empty spaces. Frost Strike, Howling Blast, Obliterate and Death Grip replaced Scourge Strike, Raise Ghoul, Outbreak, Festering Strike and Death Coil. As if on instinct, Jacob cast aside his sword and spent a few minutes forging two new one-handed runeblades, curved and serrated like the ones he received when he had been raised. Razuvious gave a crack of a grin, pleased at his new student's initiative.

Jacob then headed over to the balcony. As he went, he passed by a tall blood elf death knight, clad in ornate spiked armour, a long flowing black cloak and carrying a large runed axe with six sharp blades in a circle. Jacob didn't know the elf's name, but he knew him by reputation. One of the Lich King's most powerful death knights. The Deathwalker. The Deathwalker said nothing as the initiate passed, but gave him a nod of acknowledgement and welcome. The Lich King was just up ahead. Turning to his newest addition to the ranks, the Lich King gestured at a large floating orb, just left of his pedestal. "This, Deathstalker, is the Eye of Acherus. You will use it to spy upon the citizens of New Avalon." Jacob looked at the sleek metal construct admiringly. Jacob listened attentively as the Lich King highlighted the controls and how to use them. Finished, the Jailor of the Damned clapped Jacob on the shoulder. "I am pleased with your performance, Deathstalker. Do not fail me."

Jacob went over to the Eye and seized the controls. Piloting the construct out of Acherus and towards New Avalon, the death knight couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. Not for himself, but…the citizens. Shaking his head to clear the odd feeling, Jacob saw through the Eye. The Lich King had given him four places to scout out. The New Avalon Forge, the New Avalon Town Hall, the Scarlet Hold and the Chapel of the Crimson Flame. As Jacob looked over the town and gathered information, he also noticed a large force of Scarlet Crusaders mustering outside the town hall. "This is a reason to be concerned about…" Jacob muttered as he finished gathering all the needed information and reported back to the Lich King.

"They prepare for battle - as expected - but there is something else. I sense an old enemy. An enemy I destroyed long ago…It matters not. We will send the full might of the Scourge against them before they have a chance to evacuate their homes and put in place their defences." The Lich King stared out at New Avalon again. "Listen well, death knight, for I give you the words that will start a war. My final judgement is clear. Death. To. All. None shall stand against the might of the Scourge! Go now, report to Highlord Darion Mograine. Have him carry out my orders, and you shall carry out yours, too. And when the Crusade has been dealt with, we shall finish off the Argent Dawn."

Using the Ebon Transporter to ferry quickly to the first floor of Acherus, Jacob hurried over to Darion, who was studying a large war scroll. "There you are, Deathstalker. Razuvious has told me all about you." As Jacob delivered the Lich King's orders, the Highlord nodded slowly. "A wise decision. You, death knight, will be rewarded for your service to the Scourge. I bestow this amulet upon you. Use it wisely. The horns of war will sound across this land soon. When I next look over the lands, they will be covered with the legions of Acherus." Raising a large ornate horn, he blew the war call. "Armies of the Scourge, hear my call! The scarlet apocalypse had begun! Tear this land asunder and leave nothing in your wake."

Looking back to Jacob, Darion nodded. "You and your fellow death knights will lead the deadly charge. Take a Scourge Gryphon from Thalanor and fly down to Death's Breach. Report to Prince Valanar immediately upon arrival. Angmar!" Darion called over the Deathstalker, who apparently was named Angmar. "Take this young one under your wing. Teach and guide him in the path of the death knight. Go now! Suffer well, brothers!" Jacob nodded at Angmar, who nodded back. "Well met, Deathstalker."

And as the duo made their way over to the Scourge Commander, neither were aware of the fact that they, in their previous lives, had been stalwart bringers of justice and the Light, and close allies.


	3. Plaguelands: The Scarlet Enclave

Death's Breach was one of the best in Scourge garrisons. As Jacob and Angmar alighted the Scourge Gryphons and pocketed the summon whistles, Prince Valanar of the San'layn beckoned for them to come. "Deathstalker. Deathwalker. You have come, at last. Do you smell that?" Valanar sniffed the air. "Fresh meat…" the undead elf salivated. Then, checking himself, the prince looked back at the duo. "Apologies. I am sure you do not share my fine cuisine. Anyway, here is the plan. Do you see the town below us?" New Avalon was like any regular human town. "We need to thin out their ranks as much as possible. The peasants will have to be culled, for then there will be no more wood for the Scarlet war machines. The crusaders, of course, will also have to be culled. More importantly, the citizens, too, must be killed. That will truly define the first lesson in Scourge warfare: TERROR! Do you understand?" Jacob nodded, drawing his blades. Angmar simply drew his axe, said nothing.

"Excellent. But before you head off to the slaughter, you might want to check in with Orithos, Olrun and Salanar. They should have some tasks for you. Go now, kill well, brothers." As Valanar walked off, Jacob went up to Orithos, known as the Sky Darkener. A tall armoured skeleton, he nodded at Jacob and a voice issued forth from the unmoving skull. "Look here, Deathstalker. You see that we need ammunition for our warfare. However, we…umm…lost a lot of our saronite arrows. Would you fetch as many as you can and return, eh? I will reward you well!" Olrun the Battlecaller, was a powerful val'kyr battle-maiden. "Deathstalker, to remain in the ranks of the Lich King's death knights, you must prove your worth. Find and defeat 5 death knight initiates in single combat. I will ensure that they survive, do not worry." The final one, Horseman Salanar, looked at Jacob with a questioning look in his eye. "This is the newest death knight they sent? Well, I've got a task for you. Deliver any horse from the Scarlet stables to me, and I'll see to it that you receive it back as an Acherus Deathcharger."

With four tasks in hand, Jacob, followed by Angmar, headed down to New Avalon, where the killing would begin.

A few death knights had already gone down to the town. Jacob thus found the area strewn sparsely with corpses. Beyond there, about fifty meters off, there were still a large number of citizens and crusaders. "Enough for the both of us. Come, Angmar!" The two rushed down the slope from Death's Breach and charged for the nearest group of Scarlet Crusaders. They must have looked a terrifying sight to the crusaders, blades out, capes whirling, roaring battle cries and emanating dark Scourge magic. "The Scourge is upon us! TO ARMS!" one crusader managed to cry before Angmar cut him down easily. Two more were dispatched quickly by Jacob, who was getting used to the weight of the blades.

A group of Scarlet peasants were busy chopping wood in the nearby clearing. "Into the bush, Jacob! Use your Death Grip spell." As the two death knights slipped into the large bush, the peasants continued slaving away at the wood. Suddenly, the rearmost one was grabbed by a bolt of purplish energy and pulled into the bush. "Ambush! Watch out!" the leader yelled as he and his men wielded their axes two-handed and watched the trees. Another Death Grip bolt, and another was pulled into the bush. Fortunately, none of the peasants had seen it yet. All of a sudden, a red cloud dropped from above and desecrated the ground beneath the peasants' feet. As they hacked and coughed and spat blood, Angmar strode out. "See, Jacob? This is the power of Death and Decay." Jacob came out, seeing the peasants slump, dead. "Indeed, this is amazing." He looked over to the stables, where a large force of crusaders and peasants had mustered. "Let's finish the job." The two death knights strode off towards the force, weapons out and bloody.

"SCOURGE! SCOURGE! RUN AWAY!"

The panic-stricken citizens ran pell-mell helter-skelter as the two death knights approached, striking down the runners with ranged spells. Then as the crusaders surged forwards, Jacob rooted them all in place with a well-placed howling blast. As Angmar moved in to dispatch them, Jacob looked around and saw a field full of half-dead citizens, each one pinned to the ground by a saronite arrow. Jacob also saw a fine-looking stallion resting in its stall. Running for the field where the saronite arrows lay strewn, Jacob quickly pulled out the arrows of the bodies, not caring if gobs of flesh were torn from the citizens as well. Soon, he had gathered fifteen and could no longer carry any more. Quickly tying them into a bundle and strapping it to his back, the death knight looked for Angmar, who was busy chopping down crusaders left right and center. "Angmar!" The death knight turned and responded with a single nod. "I've got everything! Let's get out of here!" So saying, Jacob leapt on top of the stallion, while Angmar summoned his Deathcharger. The two tore away from the heavy reinforcements and the angry horse master. "You filthy Scourge! Get back here!"

Jacob dumped everything he had retrieved in a corner and went off hunting for fellow death knights to duel. As the val'kyr Olrun watched, Jacob found a male troll. "I be Crajin, Deathstalker! Do ya challenge me, brudda?" Surprisingly, that name sounded…strangely familiar to Jacob. Composing himself, Jacob nodded. "I challenge you, death knight!" Crajin smiled and drew his double blades. "Remember dis day, Deathstalker, for it be da day dat ya be thoroughly owned!" He lunged at Jacob, who drew his blades in time and parried the vicious two-handed strike. Jacob now shoved Crajin back and the duo battled back and forth, smiting and cleaving, showers of sparks from their clashes flying everywhere.

Eventually, Jacob slammed the handle of his right blade into Crajin's chin, sending the troll death knight stumbling backwards. Jacob pressed the advantage and slashed and hacked away, until Crajin's blades were sent spinning out of his hands. "Enough! I yield, mon!" Crajin yelled, kneeling. Jacob nodded and made a mental note. Four to go.

In no time at all, Jacob was busy reporting back to his superiors. As it turned out, the rewards were great indeed. Orithos gave him a beautifully-tailored cape, Valanar gave him his own ring, and Olrun gave him the insignia of the Scourge. Salanar, however, had one more task for him. "Deathstalker, are you feeling particularly brave? A little background information, first. Whenever we come into possession of a horse, we will send it into this realm, where our Dark Riders will kill it, and raise it as a Deathcharger. Every death knight will inevitably have to face this challenge. If you desire a true challenge, I will send you into the Realm of Shadows. There, you will slay the Dark Rider of Acherus and take his Deathcharger. Report back to me, and you will receive back the steed."

Jacob looked at Angmar, who nodded supportively. "When I was but a fledging, I too ventured into the Shadow Realm to claim my mount. You should go for it. Remember, the Lich King has control over everything, most of all our lives." Jacob nodded slowly and turned to the expectant Salanar, who was waiting for an answer. "I will go into the Shadow Realm to claim my steed, Horseman." Salanar seemed to brighten. "Exactly what I expected from a true death knight! Very well." The horseman murmured a few spells, then raised a hand, enveloping Jacob in shadow. When the death knight opened his eyes, he was alone in a shadowy plane, and everyone except Salanar was gone. The horseman nodded at Jacob, who strode forwards into the shadowy mists.

 _This is truly a desolate place._ Jacob thought to himself as he kept his blades out, watching the cliffs for any signs of ambush from the shadowy denizens of this realm. As the death knight carefully stalked the fields, he recognised them as New Avalon's. Ghostly shades prowled to and fro, their clawed hands clenching and unclenching. One saw Jacob and rushed for him. Jacob thought his blades would just pass through the incorporeal form, but to his surprise, the shade seemed to scream as it faded, mortally "wounded" from the runeblades.

Then Jacob saw the dark rider. Or to be exact, it saw him first. Heavily armoured in scarlet spiked armour and carrying a huge runeblade, it rode a Deathcharger. The horse had black skin with blazing blue eyes, and its feet below the knee was completely skeletal. The rider let out a cry of rage, then bore down towards the death knight. Jacob got into a battle stance, then raised his blades. The air screeched as the rider's runeblade cleaved through it and was met by Jacob's blades. For a moment, both death knights strove against one another in an eerie power struggle, then Jacob sprang backwards.

Carried forward by his momentum, the dark rider was spent sprawling from his horse. In an instant, Jacob thrust one blade into the rider's leg, and the other was driven into the back. Wounded and enraged, the rider roared and dealt Jacob such a mighty blow that the death knight was sent flying back and into a shelf of rock. Jacob slumped, dazed, as the dark rider whirled his sword over his head, and prepared to bring it down for the kill.

As the blade scythed towards Jacob's head, he recovered and had only moments to act. He quickly rolled to one side, seeing the blade smash into the ground. The rider growled and drew back, then charged, blade out like a jousting knight. Jacob just had time to grab both blades and cross them together before the charging knight's long blade passed through his chest and smashed him against the rock. The pain was incredible, but Jacob blotted it from his mind. Yelling, he thrust himself forwards on the blade, and raised both his curved blades. Before the rider had time to react, both blades sliced cleanly through his helm and head. Such was the momentum that the blades cut through his body and his saddle, coming to a stop just shy of breaking the horse's skin. Jacob collapsed and lying there, issued the Horseman's Call. In an instant, Salanar was there and he quickly took the horse, clapping Jacob on the shoulder. Fortunately, Jacob already felt that his flesh was beginning to knit. Wincing, the death knight staggered up the hill back to Death's Breach and waved for Salanar to get him out of the realm. Instantly, he was sitting against a tent, letting his wounds knit and his body rest.


	4. The Scarlet Harvest

Jacob woke from something that could be called the Scourge's version of sleep, a state of nonawareness. He was still leaning against the command tent, and there was dried blood on his blades. His wounds were mostly healed, except his chest, where pressing hard on the scar would make it sore. Remembering the previous day's affairs, he got up and headed to Salanar, who shook his head. "Well, death knight, I was really wondering how long you would take you to recover from your wounds. It matters not. I give you your own personal Acherus Deathcharger. You, Deathstalker, have succeeded where most initiates fail." Salanar whistled, a strange tone for a being of darkness and destruction. The exact Deathcharger that Jacob had relinquished came trotting up. Jacob petted its thin mane and sprang upon its back. "Come, Darkflight! we shall show the Scarlet Crusade the true meaning of fear!" He rode down into the fields and as the crusaders began to swarm around him, he summoned an anti-magic shell to protect from the smites. With a cry of battle on his lips, the death knight began to lay all around him with his blades, cleaving and carving down the crusaders.

In an instant he was surrounded by corpses. Calling in a necromancer to raise the undead, he rode back to Death's Breach, the eternal hunger sated…for the moment. A strange necromancer with a ram's skull on his head and a twisted staff in hand waved him over. "Deathstalker!" As Jacob approached, Gothik the Harvester drew himself up and recited a line, perhaps from some years ago…and strangely familiar.

"You have fought hard to invade the realm of the harvester…wait. That's not it. Apologies, human, old habits die hard. I have come from the frozen heart of Naxxramas to deliver a vicious threshing on our enemies. Who knows? I might be even able to feast on souls. Well human, I am all out of souls."

The necromancer then handed Jacob a complex handheld pump with a globe of vile green liquid attached to its bottom. "This will allow you to raise ghouls out of the miners that work in the mines over there. Raise a small army, then report back. In exchange, I do have some gold that I don't want…now get to it."

Angmar came riding back, his axe drenched in blood, a grin on his pale face. "Well, Jacob, you have been making progress! So old Gothik here says that you need to raise some ghouls? As a follower of the school of blood, I'm afraid cannot help you. Please, do go and learn for yourself." Thus, Jacob sat on the blighted grass just outside Death's Breach and sprayed some liquid on a convenient passing rabbit. It died painfully, then was raised as an undead creature. Fascinating. This was rather interesting.

Jacob got up and with the pump in one hand and one blade in the other. Making his way down the slope and into the mines, Jacob watched out for any stray crusaders. Thankfully finding none, the death knight attracted the attention of a stray miner, who rushed over, yelling and raising his spade. Swiftly, a puff of gaseous plague enveloped him, and he fell retching and coughing. He screamed, and lay still. Then, he appeared to gruesomely degenerate into a ghoul, who followed and stuck to Jacob. The death knight nodded and saw that a small army of miners and crusaders were charging towards him. Instead of spraying, Jacob tipped the entire globe jar of plague down the ghoul's throat. Now the ghoul was close to bursting at the seams. Jacob then commanded the ghoul to run forward into the group. Once the undead creature was in the center of the group, Jacob closed his hand into a fist.

Boom! The ghoul exploded in a splash of plague. The miners and crusaders screamed as the potent liquid melted away at their flesh and turned them into ghouls. Satisfied, Jacob commanded the ghouls to follow him as he made his way back up to Death's Breach, where Gothik was waiting impatiently. "Have you got my ghouls yet? Impressive! That's a hefty number you got there, death knight. Well done. Here is your reward." Gothik handed Jacob a charm that clipped onto his belt, and some gold.

Next, Valanar called Jacob over. "Here, Deathstalker! You see now that most of the Scarlet forces here have been completely obliterated. All that remain are clustered in New Avalon and Light's Point. I must let you know, few of your brethren remained after the initial assault. You are one of our strongest death knights, Deathstalker." The San'layn clapped Jacob on the shoulder. "The Lich King is pleased with you, Deathstalker. This is your next assignment. You will find a mine cart that has been placed outside the mine by my lackeys. Hide yourself inside and let the hapless miner take you onboard the Scarlet ship. From there, use one of their cannons and bombard the Scarlet Crusaders to pieces! Go forth! Suffer well!" Jacob saluted and walked off, joined by Angmar who had just returned from a killing spree.

"Hail, Jacob. Let us go and carry out the prince's orders." This time, stealth was of utmost importance to the death knights. They were joined by a third of their brethren, a female draenei called Xelana. She was a follower of the school of the unholy. "Xelana! Create a diversion." Jacob hissed as the trio crouched in a bush. The draenei waved her hands and fingers for a moment, weaving green magic, then caused an eruption of plague near the mine. Ghouls then clambered out of the crater, slavering and heading for the nearest crusaders. "ALERT! SCOURGE IN THE FIELDS! TO ARMS, BRETHREN, TO ARMS!" Around half of the crusaders engaged the small army of ghouls, the other half ran back to the town to guard it. Perfect.

There were three mine carts parked outside the mine. Ensuring that no one was watching, the death knights each climbed into one and hunkered down, concealing themselves under the mound of coal sacks. It just so happened that three miners had evaded the ghouls and were pulling the carts towards the ships. Jacob risked a cursory glance from under a coal sack and nearly gasped in concern. Lining the valley were hundreds of elite Scarlet Crusaders, all armoured heavily and armed to the teeth with swords, spears, axes and halberds. If they were discovered in the carts, or if someone coughed, it would be the end.

Fortunately, that did not happen. A bump, and the three carts were loaded onto the ship. Jacob and Angmar leaped out first as Xelana clambered out. They spotted a row of mean looking cannons neatly lined up along the portside and each death knight took one.

The Scarlet Crusaders were keeping guard at their flagship. At any sign of Scourge infiltration, they would rain down metal death with their cannons. As one of the crusaders casually looked at their ship to check on it, she gasped in horror. "Brethren! See the cannons! They are—" her last words were cut off as an explosive shot from one cannon and swiftly obliterated her and all nearby crusaders.

Jacob laughed as he grabbed a cannonball from its compartment on the deck and reloaded it. Training the cannon's bright red targeting cross on the line of crusaders who were running for the ship's ramp, the death knight fired, sending more crusaders flying into the air. Meanwhile Angmar and Xelana were doing likewise, but instead targeting the crusader's supply depots and armoury. "Protect the supplies—" a Scarlet Captain and his squad were blown to pieces. With all the nearby crusaders dispatched, the three death knights aimed for the elite crusaders along the valley. These cannons had surprisingly long range! Three cannonballs hit their mark, blasting dozens of crusaders into bloody pieces. There was a roar, and an entire battalion of crusaders charged for the ramp. They were nearly upon the death knights! At that instant, Xelana noticed a big red button on the cannon. She pressed it and instinctively ducked, as did her fellow death knights. A destructive shockwave of electromagnetic energy ripped from the cannon and quite literally tore the crusaders apart.

At last, all was silent.

Angmar got to his feet and seeing that there were already reinforcements pouring down from the valley to eliminate the threat, raised a horn to his lips and blew. A roar, and a massive frostwyrm came down from the skies. The three death knights leaped onto its back, and the skeletal beast had just lifted clear of the ship, just as the crusaders swarmed onto the ship. They yelled angry curses as the frostwyrm flapped its wings, taking the Scourge warriors out of range and to safety.

Prince Valanar was waiting eagerly. "All? Completely destroyed? This is excellent news." He busied himself writing a report, then handed it to Jacob. "Here, Deathstalker. This is a complete report of the heroics of you, the Deathwalker and the Plagueblade. I want you to deliver it to Darion up in Acherus." The three death knights saluted the San'layn prince, then leaped atop their Deathchargers to the skeletal gryphon point. In no time at all, they were up in Acherus, and Jacob handed the scroll to Darion, who looked at it with genuine interest. "Valanar says that you three were damned heroic during the campaign? Most interesting…The ENTIRE Scarlet Fleet? Such power you have, Jacob, Angmar and Xelana. I have never seen such domination, such display of power ever since my father wielded…" Darion shook his head. "It matters not. Now, for your commendation." He handed both Xelana and Jacob a set of Saronite legplates each, and to Angmar, gave him further instructions. "Angmar, you have done well. These death knight initiates have proven themselves to be worthy. Now, I want you to take up your post at the town and carry out strikes. In time, you three will meet again. It is the will of the Lich King that drives us, as you already know. Can you hear him now? No…it seems that you can't…yet." Darion paused and nodded to an unseen entity. "Yes, my Lord. It shall be done." "Jacob and Xelana, I want you to seek out Valanar at Death's Breach. He will give you your further instructions. Go, the Lich King commands it!"

Jacob and Xelana took a few moments to strap on their legplates, then stowed away their initiate gear and headed for the balcony, where Scourge Commander Thalanor was waiting. "All ready for the trip down to Death's Breach, I see. Climb on, death knights."

Prince Valanar was waiting in front of the command tent. "Havenshire is ours! Thousands of corpses carpet the fields, all ready for raising! We will strike at them with the renewed vigor and fury of the Scourge!"


End file.
